Chapter 12: A Spark of Understanding

“Are you here to tease me?”  

Naturally, Jung Inha’s voice sharpened.  

Already embarrassed and fled from people, yet the very person who made her feel that way says such words.  

For Jung Inha, even rebellious feeling rose.  

“Yes! Embarrassed! I, I, didn’t know you could act…….  

Last pride perhaps.  

Words trying to admit good acting stuck in Jung Inha’s throat, wouldn’t come out.  

“Your acting?”  

Kang Myungwoo asked with calm face and voice.  

Somehow eyes urging honest words, Jung Inha finally spat the last.  

“Didn’t know you could do that well!”  

Huff, huff, breathing hard after shouting Jung Inha.  

And she whipped head away again.  

Her ears turned red.  

Annoying…….  

Peer better at acting than self, and admitting with own mouth, first time.  

And the kid in front who forced that admission.  

Jung Inha felt mix of embarrassment and annoyance.  

“Mm, I see.”  

Completely opposite to Jung Inha’s heart, overly calm seeming Kang Myungwoo’s voice.  

Eventually Jung Inha turned whipped head back to Kang Myungwoo and glared.  

“Here to tease? To make me admit you’re better at acting?”  

“Ah, no. Not to tease…….”  

Kang Myungwoo flustered at kid’s look, stammering.  

“Ha, yes. You act well. Much better than me. Satisfied now? Hurry go elsewhere!”  

And Jung Inha soon tears dropping buried head again.  

Myungwoo looked at such Jung Inha with flustered expression.  

What to do with this kid…….  

Would help if experienced soothing kids.  

Quietly watching Jung Inha a moment, Kang Myungwoo calmly opened mouth.  

“Kid your age, just entered acting world not long, better than you, so jealous, frustrated, right?”  

Don’t know soothing kids well, so direct approach.  

Just, honest talk.  

At Myungwoo’s words, Jung Inha flinched.  

“But acted arrogant to such kid, yet pushed in actual acting skills. So embarrassed, right?”  

Words poking Jung Inha’s nerves, she whipped head up again.  

And shot glare at Kang Myungwoo, but  

His expression neither arrogant nor clumsy comfort.  

Smiling bitterly as if knows that feeling too.  

“I know that well.”  

“……How do you know?”  

Just entered, with such genius talent.  

Rebellious thought this too teasing rose in Jung Inha’s mind.  

Reason couldn’t voice it one.  

Kang Myungwoo really sincerely knew expression.  

“I had that too.”  

This life hears genius with previous life’s acting career, but previous self absolutely not genius type.  

Rather, from bottom up, tremendous effort type sharpened acting 30 years.  

Living that way, saw acting geniuses not one or two.  

Of course, instead of expressing like Jung Inha, worked harder sharpening acting seeing such people.  

But then self adult, now Jung Inha kid.  

Understandable.  

“You? When? Who?”  

Person thought acting genius had same experience, Jung Inha’s curiosity raised head.  

She stuck face close to Myungwoo pouring questions.  

“Just there. Such person.”  

“Who? Who?”  

“Bit hard to say.”  

Nonsense, unsayable.  

Myungwoo said smiling brightly.  

“Ay, what.”  

Jung Inha made deflated expression.  

Somehow her heart loosened.  

“Well, anyway so know well. How you feel now.”  

“Hmph, what if you know.”  

Still grudge left, Jung Inha turned head away, but  

Voice clearly brighter than before.  

Phew, seems somewhat successful.  

Don’t know handling kids, just honest talk.  

But sincerity worked.  

Myungwoo inwardly sighed relief.  

“Let’s go slowly. Everyone looking for you.”  

Myungwoo extended hand to Jung Inha.  

Jung Inha made prim expression grasped Myungwoo’s hand.  

Whew  

Somehow succeeded soothing?  

Myungwoo held hand tight lest Jung Inha run, headed to people.  

Don’t disappear like that. Now late, no people place, how dangerous ahead.  

All.  

Succeeded soothing, now nagging time.  

Myungwoo said to Jung Inha with stern expression.  

Kid disappear alone to no people place this dangerous time.  

What if big trouble.  

“What, pretending mature again.”  

Suddenly heard nagging, Jung Inha’s lips pouted.  

“Everyone worries. Saw directly.”  

Myungwoo no compromise on this.  

No matter bad with kids, this common thought.  

Kids moving alone at night dangerous.  

“Tch, got it. Careful next time.”  

Still obediently accepting Jung Inha, Myungwoo sighed relief.  

Worried might throw tantrum.  

Lucky.  

Jung Inha glanced at Myungwoo walking beside.  

Mature. Kind!  

Threw such tantrum yet came to soothe.  

Even said earlier kid alone moving dangerous.  

Yet risked that danger came alone to soothe self.  

……Annoying.  

Jung Inha thought ears red.  

Not really annoyed, but different emotion.  

She realize that emotion’s identity bit later.  

“Myungwoo ya! Inha ya!”  

“Where were!”  

“Really, Inha disappear worried, Myungwoo you too!”  

“Sorry. Finding Inha…….”  

“Still, kid alone far not good. Don’t next time. Got it?”  

“Yes.”  

Hearing exactly what told Jung Inha.  

Myungwoo newly realized self kid.  

From his position worry only Jung Inha, but others worry self too as kid.  

“Inha ya! Where!”  

“Uh, just……”  

“Don’t next time. How worried everyone!”  

“Got it, unni.”  

Jung Inha nodded perfunctorily to manager looked at Myungwoo.  

Saw Myungwoo scolded same as self.  

“Oh my?”  

Not hiding at all, unknowingly to Myungwoo gaze, manager naturally noticed.  

“Hmm.”  

Circumstantially, he comforted Inha brought.  

What words made this prim kid have such emotion instantly.  

Well.  

“Sigh, anyway shooting ended hurry go. Seems need scold this time.”  

Now time as adult pretend not know.  

***

While Jung Inha disappeared, everyone bustling to find.  

Somehow dazed woman tapped director’s back.  

“Huh? What? Found Inha yang?”  

Director hurriedly turned.  

But seen dazed woman.  

“Writer Lee Eunkyung? What’s wrong?”  

New work no fitting actor thought, even work not coming headache Lee Eunkyung writer.  

Then rest bit come watch others’ work actors suggested by director.  

Perhaps she found Jung Inha.  

But answer not hoped.  

“That kid…… what?”  

“Huh? Who?”  

“Boy. Boy who acted Yoo Dongha this time.”  

“Boy? Kang Myungwoo gun?”  

“Kang Myungwoo…….”  

At director’s words, Lee Eunkyung chewed Myungwoo’s name.  

“Writer Lee Eunkyung, busy now Myungwoo gun talk later…….”  

“That kid.”  

“Huh?”  

Writer Lee Eunkyung still dazed muttered.  

“That kid seems fine.”  

“What?”  

Despite director’s annoyed reply, Lee Eunkyung silently stared where Myungwoo was.  

Recalling Myungwoo’s face sobbing tragically, tremendous acting earlier, eyes shone.  

***  

Jung Inha happening resolved, that day safely ended too.  

<Black and White Mask> shooting continued.  

After that several past flashback scenes with Nam Younghyun and Yoo Dongha, met Jung Inha again, but  

“Hello.”  

“……Hello.”  

Jung Inha not sharp to Myungwoo like before.  

“What did today?”  

Rather, bit annoying perhaps.  

Different from past, rest time stuck right beside Myungwoo chattering nonstop.  

Myungwoo little experience proper with kids flustered, but outwardly hid acted normal conversation.  

“Oh my, two got close.”  

“Yeah. Good.”  

“Last time Myungwoo soothed Inha well seems.”  

Set adults said one each amazed watching.  

Jung Inha already child actor years passed several, with outstanding acting her prickly personality rumored too.  

Yet tamed such wild colt like kid.  

Silent eye exchanges among people, noticed all same thought.  

But not voice.  

Time as adults pretend not know.  

Just watch two play well smile satisfied turn head.  

“You know.”  

“Yeah?”  

Jung Inha slightly lowered gaze opened mouth.  

“You, no problem at school?”  

“School?”  

School.  

Attended diligently before actor path, but after starting shooting never went once.  

“Yeah, seems no problem.”  

His school life no issue.  

Bringing this up, rather school life problem is…….  

“Yeah?”  

And Jung Inha dejected face head down.  

This  

Bigger problem than thought.  

Myungwoo carefully chose words.  

Last time formed empathy soothed kid, this time too perhaps.  

“Actually, have worry.”  

“Huh? What?”  

Jung Inha whipped head up desperate face.  

As if seeing person same worry as self this time too.  

And perhaps can solve own problem too.  

“Shooting started, skipped school quite a lot. No, after shooting this time  

never went school at all.”  

“Me, me too! Because shooting almost can’t go school.”  

This it.  

Luckily found at once.  

Myungwoo inwardly sighed relief outwardly sighed big as if worried.  

“Yeah. So worry classes, but longer not seen friends more worry.”  

“This direct hit, Jung Inha’s face covered empathy.  

Right! Me too. I shooting from before, almost can’t go school. So me too, friends not seen long.”

“Quite? How long?”  

“About 1 year?”  

“…… How old are you?”  

“Don’t know that? I’m 9!”  

Younger than thought Jung Inha’s age, Myungwoo momentarily shut mouth.  

9 means, child actor from before elementary…….  

From then attended set instead school or kindergarten.  

Prime age play with kids.  

Such time alone set instead school, bound to have friend relation issues.  

“Similar age to me.”  

“Yeah? How old you?”  

“I’m 10.”  

“Ah!”  

Now knowing Myungwoo older, Jung Inha’s face dyed embarrassment.  

Then, older brother than me……?